CPCB Mandates Fly Ash Compliance Audits

Summary of Thermal Power Plant Compliance Regulations

Regulatory Framework

• Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has mandated annual audits for thermal power plants to ensure adherence to fly ash utilisation and disposal norms.
• This requirement follows the Union Environment Ministry’s 2021 Ash Utilisation Notification and its amendments.

Key Provisions of the 2021 Ash Utilisation Notification

• 100% utilisation of fly ash is mandated over the compliance cycle, with an annual minimum target set at 80%.
• Thermal power plants, particularly coal and lignite-based ones, are accountable for environmentally sound ash utilisation.
• Permissible uses of fly ash include:
  • Manufacturing of bricks and blocks.
  • Production of cement.
  • Other approved applications.

Compliance and Penalties

• Non-compliance with the prescribed utilisation targets incurs an environmental compensation fee of ₹1,000 per tonne of unutilised ash.
• Audits of fly ash management are required to be performed by CPCB-authorised auditors.
• Reports from these audits need submission to the CPCB and the respective State Pollution Control Boards by November 30 each year.

Enforcement and Oversight

• The CPCB has authorised 124 auditors to perform these compliance audits.
• Directions have been issued to non-compliant thermal power plants under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, as of June 12 and July 3, 2026.
• Non-compliant plants are directed to meet requirements within stipulated deadlines.

Judicial Oversight

• The submission and enforcement actions were in response to a petition by the Tamil Nadu Fly Ash Brick and Blocks Manufacturers Association to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), concerning the CPCB’s role in regular audits.

This regulatory framework and audit mechanism aim to enhance the efficient utilisation of fly ash and mitigate environmental impacts from thermal power plants.